The first inter-SEC football matchup of 2021 takes place in Lexington, Kentucky, this Saturday when Missouri football travels east to face the Wildcats. The game is slated to kick off around 6:30 p.m. CST at Kentucky’s Kroger Field.
Both teams enter the weekend 1-0 after handling their Week 1 non-conference opponents in different ways. The Tigers went back and forth with Central Michigan for a majority of last Saturday afternoon, before pulling away to win 34-24. The Chippewas’ roster is packed with explosive playmakers and are expected to compete for the MAC title. Kentucky, meanwhile, hosted University of Louisiana-Monroe and blew them out 45-10.
How much did we really learn about either team last weekend? Well, this early in the season, not much. But, Saturday’s game should give fans of both programs a better feel for where their teams actually stand in the SEC East pecking order.
“We want to set the tone,” graduate wide receiver Keke Chism said. “We want to start SEC play out right. This is a big challenge on the road.”
In past years, the annual Kentucky-Missouri matchup determined which program finished third in the SEC East, often behind Georgia and Florida. The game being played in Week 2 only ups the ante, and a win could serve as a significant boost to either team early in the season.
Last year, the Tigers beat Kentucky 20-10 at Faurot Field for their first win against the Wildcats since 2014. This season, all signs point toward a more offensive battle rather than the defensive slugfest that transpired in 2020. That’s all because of the Wildcats’ talented skill position players.
Kentucky senior wide receiver Josh Ali and junior wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson combined for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns last week. Junior quarterback Will Levis, meanwhile, had an afternoon to remember against Louisiana-Monroe. He finished with 367 yards, 4 touchdowns and just 1 interception against the Warhawks in his first start for Kentucky since transferring from Penn State.
Despite improvements on the offensive side, defense has always been Kentucky’s calling card under coach Mark Stoops, and that doesn’t seem to be any different this year. The Wildcats’ defense allowed just 87 yards last week, and while it came against Louisiana-Monroe, it could still serve as a sign of things to come.
To avoid making the Kentucky defense’s job too easy, Missouri will want to avoid the third-and-long situations that killed multiple drives against the Chippewas. The Tigers went just 1-11 in such situations, which won’t get the job done against a talented opponent in a hostile SEC environment.
One option to alleviate some defensive pressure is senior running back Tyler Badie, who converted 28 touches into 243 yards. He is a weapon in both the passing and ground game, and played the part last weekend. Saturday will provide an even-tougher test as he settles into life as Missouri’s feature back.
When the Tigers travel to Lexington, the question is whether they can win a close game, especially on the road in a stadium they’ve only won in once. With Kentucky 5-0 in games decided by eight points or fewer against Missouri, it won’t be an easy feat.
“We know it’s going to be a hostile environment at night, so for us it’s about execution,” Chism said. “We know if we execute [our game plan] and go out there with the right mindset and mentality, things should go in our favor.”
In his comments to the media this week, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz discussed the urgent message he relayed to his team: to beat an opponent of Kentucky’s quality on the road, they need to be prepared and make plenty of adjustments. No matter the final score, Drinkwitz should have a good feel for where his team stands in the SEC East after Saturday night.
“I think it shows how important this game is,” graduate punter Grant McKinniss said. “We need to pick up speed with some of the things we are doing and get better as fast as possible with a good opponent like Kentucky. We have to play well in order to win, especially on the road.”
Edited by Mason Arneson | marneson@themaneater.com
